✅ SOLVED Button Help...

[Swartzie]

Wondering if anyone would care to help with the material and age of this button? On my detector it signals between foil and nickel like a Tombac material would. So, I'm pretty certain the material is not brass. Also, the shank appears to be iron. I'm thinking pewter. Any opinions?

Thanks,
Swartzie

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[FreeBirdTim]

My pewter buttons ring up as nickel or foil, so your button should be pewter as well. My guess would be late 1700's, but I could be off a little as to the date of manufacture.

 

[Iron Patch]

Not pewter. Is copper or brass, the detector is probably rejecting the iron to make the signal lower. See if you get the same reading from both sides.... would think the iron exposed would be slightly lower.... but that's just my theory not based on anything.... more just curious.

The same thing can happen with pewter buttons, only since they are fairly low sounding to start, especially in poor condition, the iron shank can drop them right down to the iron range, or just barely above... and that is why they tend to hide fairly well.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I'm sticking with pewter, since it has a beveled edge. I've got at least 30 brass buttons and none have a beveled edge. Many pewter buttons I've seen have a beveled edge.

 

[Iron Patch]

I'm sticking with pewter, since it has a beveled edge. I've got at least 30 brass buttons and none have a beveled edge. Many pewter buttons I've seen have a beveled edge.

Pewter doesn't corrode green like that.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

We'll have to disagree on this one. The soft beveled edge and the gray color at the top of the face of the button tells me it's pewter. And the green isn't corrosion. It appears to be discolored from algae, moss or even grass. Just my opinion.

 

[Iron Patch]

We'll have to disagree on this one. The soft beveled edge and the gray color at the top of the face of the button tells me it's pewter. And the green isn't corrosion. It appears to be discolored from algae, moss or even grass. Just my opinion.

We sure can, and you can add the button to that disagreement, because I don't think it's one. It's some type of small copper/brass stud/rosette.

 

[BuckleBoy]

The beveled edge is non-normative for a button, and the thing is obviously brass or copper, not pewter. It's the head of a stud, leather tack, or similar.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Additionally, the iron attachment is not normative for a flat button either. A button would've had a brass shank.

And last of all, pewter buttons are cast, with an integral shank, which this was not.